


Seventy-Two Hundred Seconds

by lrb



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Modern AU, Zutara, a bit of a juvenile delinquent setting, everybody gets arrested, katara has no chill, or misunderstood teens who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, water tribe siblings ftw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 04:08:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11798073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lrb/pseuds/lrb
Summary: "Hey, I'm Sokka. I'm here because I kind of wrecked this jerk's car with a boomerang," he says with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck."Hi, Sokka." The group's unified tone is monotonous, except for Toph, who addresses him with a snicker."My name's Katara. I'm here because I beat the shit out of said jerk and his friend when they harassed my brother."There is a pause, some hesitation, but then Toph laughs more loudly and more obnoxiously than before. "Hi, Katara!"





	Seventy-Two Hundred Seconds

**disclaimer:** everything atla belongs to bryke. i'm just a shipper trying to bring her ship to life.

 **notes:** this is the first chapter of my first  _ever_ zutara fic! please let me know what you think. i'm a sucker for modern aus and even more of a sucker for hate-to-friends-to-lovers zutara fics, so that's where this came from!  
this chapter is shorter than the ones to come, but that's because it's just the exposition to set everything else up for the rest of the story.

enjoy. :)

 

* * *

 

 

 **chapter one.** red-handed.

 

   **crime**  

        /krīm/ 

  _noun_

  1. an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.



 

* * *

 

"'Maybe you should go back to the south, Neró,'" Sokka mocks to himself, shaking his head all the while. He grumbles as he trudges down the snow-coated sidewalk, his boomerang loosely held in his gloved hand.

He has just left soccer practice early. He was  _trying_ , he really was, but he is just  _so_ exhausted from working late that he can barely even walk in a straight line.  _Whose bright idea was it to have practice at nine in the morning, anyway?_ he thinks grouchily, rubbing at his tired eyes.  _I don't even have time for a nap before I have to get to work._

In a sudden bout of irritation, he flings his boomerang forward. He watches it soar through the sky with pleasure, and then, with a sinking heart, through front and rear windshields of a bright red Audi. For a second, he feels like melting into a puddle and disappearing into the sewer. Moments later, though, a realization strikes him.

_That's Chan's car._

Part of him, albeit an infinitesimal part, wills him to stay and explain the situation to Chan. He knows Katara would encourage him to do "the right thing" since she has never been forced to associate with Chan and his partner-in-making-lives-miserable, Ruon-Jian. The larger part of him tells him to disappear before anybody sees him. He listens to that part.

Sokka awkwardly slinks around the corner of one of the academic buildings, surveying his surroundings for any witnesses whom he may have to convince to keep quiet. However, nobody seems to be wandering campus on the frosty Saturday morning, so Sokka thanks the spirits above and breaks into a sprint.

As soon as he takes his first step, he slips on a patch of ice and face-plants into the snow.

 

*  *  *

 

A few hours later, after Sokka debriefs her on the events of the day, Katara is not surprised when she opens her apartment door to find two police officers and an older man.

"Sokka!" she calls over her shoulder. She does not even bother to mask the agitation in her voice. "It's for you."

He whistles as he rounds the corner, practically skipping. Upon seeing the cops, he stops dead in his tracks as if all of the air had been vacuumed from his lungs. After a lapse of awkward quietness, Sokka laughs nervously. "What can I do for you fine gentlemen?"

His blood runs cold when the police officer holds up a plastic bag. Inside is his boomerang. "Is this yours?"

Sokka's awkward grin falters, and Katara pinches the bridge of her nose.  _Oh, shit._

 

* * *

 

Her bare foot slides to the side, readying her stance, pale fists brought up to protect her face. The world around her is dark, but she can hear  _everything_ : the way her opponent sucks in a breath, readying himself for the first shot; his feet sliding apart, too, in order to ground himself; the wish rushing past as his right hand soars through the air. Easily, Toph leans back and dodges, listening as he stumbles forward. Quickly, her fist shoots towards his face, an uppercut that guarantees landing him on his back.

Hard knuckles catch the bottom of his chin and practically lift him from the ground. Mere seconds later she hears a grunt and a  _thud!_ as her opponent lands in the dirt. He does not rise again.

"And once again, the Blind Bandit wins! Your Underground Rumble Champion, everybody!"

The crowd cheers as she throws her hands out, welcoming their praise and excitement. Applause rings out from every section of the stadium, and soon the audience is chanting her name. "Blind Bandit! Blind Bandit! Blind Bandit!"

She hears someone move near her, and she turns to face them. Milky gray eyes meet the twinkling blue eyes of the referee. "Congratulations, Blind Bandit. You are the Underground Rumble Champion."

He hands her the belt that signifies her victory, along with a case full of cash. She holds it up triumphantly and the exhilarated shouts from her fans only grow louder.

Eventually, she collects her belongings--her belt, her money, and her walking stick--and exits the underground stadium. The adrenaline still pumps through her veins as she muses to herself, "What an easy victory! They need to send some real challengers next time!"

The sound of sirens draws her out of her euphoria. Her blood runs cold as she hears the stampede of police officers running towards her, and she realizes too late that she is surrounded. She shoves the belt under her jacket, whistling as she rounds the corner with her walking stick. Even though she cannot see, she immediately feels the warmth of a flashlight in her face.

"What are you doing out so late at night?" the officer asks, immediately letting his guard down.

"I just wanted to come for a walk. It was so stuffy in my house and my parents were mad at me. I'm sorry, officer," she says, staring blankly in his vague direction.  _Totally milking it._

He pauses for a second. "Do you know how to get home from here, miss?"

She nods, a honey-sweet smile gracing her lips. "Yeah! It's right around the corner."

He steps aside, allowing her to walk past him. She grins, relieved she is in the clear, when suddenly something heavy and partially metal falls from her jacket.

The cop shines his flashlight on the object: a belt engraved with the words "EARTH RUMBLE CHAMPION."

Toph's shoulders slump as she realizes that her ruse fell apart as soon as the belt fell from her jacket.  _Oh, shit._

 

* * *

 

Aang skateboards down the street, his faithful companion--a Caucasian Shepherd Dog named Appa--running by his side. Suddenly, he and Appa veer to the left, arriving at the back of a large building. It belonged to Akahoshi Industries, one of the largest international corporations in the world. In Aang's opinion, it was also one of the worst.

He drops his backpack on the ground next to him, crouching quickly to rifle through his belongings. Finally, he pulls out a can of blue spraypaint, shaking it and grinning at his red brick canvas. 

Appa sits calmly, panting, watching as Aang moves here and there to replicate the image in the teenager's mind. He loses himself in the art, spraying all sorts of colors until he can finally stand back at marvel at his masterpiece. Where there had once been a plain bring wall now stands a colorful piece of art. An Akahoshi Industries building sits at the top of a rocky mountain, fire slowly creeping up to reach out and demolish the factory. Above it is a thunderstorm, raining down thick droplets and delivering strikes of lightning to the mountain peak. Debris is carried in the wind, away from the mountain, away from the thunder and the lightning and the fire, and it turns into stars. At the very bottom of the artwork is his signature:  _Avatar_.

"What do you think, Appa?" Aang shoots a lopsided grin at Appa, who barks happily. "Okay, boy, let's--"

Police sirens ring out from down the street, growing louder with each passing second. Aang's heart skips a bit as he clumsily tosses the paints into his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and grabbing his skateboard.

Appa keeps up easily as Aang coasts down the street, and he stops just as quickly as Aang does when their path is blocked by a police car. Aang hangs his head as blue and red lights blind him. 

_Oh, shit._

 

* * *

 

Zuko sits in the back of the chemistry lab, grimacing as he makes up the lab experiment he had missed when his father forced him out of school. Azula rambles next to him. As he sorts through the bottles for the right chemical, he squints through his goggles at Azula. He knows she is up to something; she never would have joined him voluntarily for make-up work solely to "keep him company," as she claimed before they walked in. 

"What do you think, Zuzu?" she asks, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her golden eyes glint mischievously.

He hesitates. "Uh... what?"

Azula sighs, crossing her arms. "You never listen to me when I talk. Did the accident disrupt your hearing,  _too_?"

Zuko winces. Mentioning his "accident," as she always refers to it, is a low blow, one Azula constantly makes when she tries to push Zuko's buttons. "No, Azula," he mutters, adding nitric acid to the mixture. He does not really know what the outcome is supposed to be; he just follows the directions step-by-step. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"Mai wants you to take her as your date to Father's gala," she says with a roll of her eyes. "Obviously she doesn't want to say anything since she can't risk cracking her ice cold exterior, so I figured I would tell you to do it for her."

He runs his fingers through his hair, opening his mouth to respond, when suddenly he hears a low hissing noise. Honey eyes widen as the mixture before him begins to sizzle. Just as it explodes, Azula grabs him by the back of his sweater and pulls him away, taking cover behind a lab table next to theirs. 

Various objects in the lab succumb to the flames, flames which burn low but lick the air higher and higher with every passing second, and Zuko is wrapped by a sudden sense of déjà vu. 

He can only sit there as a group of teachers runs into the lab with a fire extinguisher, diminishing the flames until the room was coated in the fluffy white substance. He can only sit there as Azula blames it on him, claiming he did it on purpose. He can only sit there, even when the cops come in to arrest him, because he knows there is no point in trying to fight his sister. He would only lose.

As he passes his lab table, hands cuffed behind his back, he spots the hydrazine in front of where Azula had been sitting, and he knows that it was her.

 

* * *

 

 

Katara and Sokka stroll the sidewalk next to the science building, silent as they sipped their drinks, when suddenly an explosion rings out from inside the building. Katara nearly drops her drink in surprise and glances at Sokka worriedly.

"Should we..." she begins, but Sokka shakes his head.

Then he laughs. "There are explosions in the chem lab  _all the time_ , Katara. Nothing new."

Hesitantly, she nods, glancing over her shoulder towards the building as they continue their path. Sokka begins delivering the details of his morning soccer practice, talking about how big of a jerk he thinks Chan is, and Katara only rolls her eyes.

"He has the right to be a little mad," she points out with a shrug. "You did smash in his car windows."

Sokka shoots her a look of utter betrayal. "I can't believe you're taking his side!" he wails.

Katara laughs, nudging her brother with her elbow. "First of all, you know I'm always on your side," she says knowingly, watching as he pouts. He waits a moment for effect before nodding, lifting his puppy dog eyes to meet his sister's sparkling eyes. "Second, I know for  _sure_ that you would be beyond pissed if someone did that to your car."

He stands up straight and clears his throat, ready to boast about his maturity and ability to forgive, when someone else intrudes on their conversation: "I know for  _sure_ that I'm beyond pissed."

Chan and Ruon-Jian stand in their path on the icy sidewalk. Chan cracks his knuckles, glare trained on Sokka, and Ruon-Jian looks entirely  _too_ ready to back him up.

Katara huffs impatiently. "Move."

"You don't have to get involved in this, babe," Ruon-Jian smirks, eyeing her up in down.

Sokka steps forward, outstretching an arm in front of his sister. "Yeah, Katara, this is my fight. Let me handle it."

Still, she does not yield. "Chan, Ruon-Jian,  _move_. I'm not asking again."

"Or what, Neró? You're gonna run home and cry to Mommy?" Chan snickers, and then he taps his chin. "Oh,  _wait_. Right. You don't have a--"

Sokka lunges first. He haphazardly throws a punch at Chan's face, only to be blocked and sent sprawling on his face in the snow. Chan and Ruon-Jian laugh, holding their stomachs, wiping away tears Katara knows are not really there. They both move to strike Sokka.

"Don't touch my brother," she snaps, eyes fiery.

"What can--"

She steps forward, ripping the lid from her cup and splashing the boiling liquid onto Chan's chest in one fluid motion. While he shrieks at the burns, she elbows his sternum, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending him into the snow next to Sokka. He groans, rolling over onto his chest to soothe the heat radiating from his shirt. The burns were not severe, Katara knew, and they would not leave any trace after a few seconds in this weather, but the heat was enough to temporarily stun him.

Ruon-Jian plants his feet wide apart on the ice, hands and arms protecting his face and chest. "I normally don't hit girls, but I can make an exception."

Katara tosses her empty cup to the side, flexing her fingers under her mittens, and races towards him. He throws a punch towards her face, but she drops to the ground and uses her momentum to slide between his legs. As he recovers from the force of his own punch, she rises behind him and kicks him once where the sun does not shine, and then again in the middle of his back. He falls into the snow on Chan's other side, gasping from air and cupping the area between his legs.

Sokka stands up, brushing himself off, and then he freaks. "Katara! What the  _hell_? Where did you learn to do  _that_?!" he exclaims, gesturing to the two boys that lie prostrate on the ground.

"Remember my friend Suki? The one from volleyball?" Katara says, grabbing Sokka's chin and checking for bruises on his face. "I told you she was going to train me in self-defense. That's why I come home later some days."

"Oh,  _right_ ," Sokka says, nodding his head and then leaning away from his sister. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Chan didn't lay a hand on me!"

Katara rolls her eyes. "You spent a majority of that time with your face buried in the snow."

" _Well_ , maybe next time, if you let the  _guy_ handle this, you'll see how to  _really_ fight," Sokka smirks, crossing his arms.

She opens her mouth to send a scathing remark his way when suddenly a police officer rounds the corner, perking up at the sight of two guys lying in the snow. Katara hands Sokka her backpack, pushing him down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. "Go, Sokka. You can't have another run-in with the cops,  _especially_ after the judge gave you so much leniency."

"But--"

"No, go!" Katara gives another forceful shove, watching him as he hesitantly jogged around the side of the building and out of sight.

Just as she turns around, Katara comes face-to-face with the cop. "What's going on here?"

She opens her mouth to explain the situation, but Chan sits up abruptly, beating her to it. "Officer, she  _attacked_ us!" he cries, pointing an accusing finger at Katara. "Sh-She was mad that we got her brother in trouble for wrecking my car, so she lunged at us as soon as she saw us!"

The officer glances between the two boys and Katara unsurely. "Is that true?"

"What?! No!" Katara sputters, shaking her head vehemently. "I--"

"It's true, sir," Ruon-Jian croaks weakly. He even milks the performance by having Chan help him sit up. "She got angry out of nowhere. We didn't want to hurt her, so we didn't fight back, but she just kept...  _attacking_. She seemed insane."

"Why don't you come with me, miss?" the officer suggests calmly, gesturing in the direction from which he came. He peers at the boys. "I'll send help to take you two to the campus nurse."

"I didn't do that, though!" Katara says as she follows the officer. "They're totally milking it because they--"

The officer cuts her off with a menacing glare. "Save it for the judge."

She stops dead in her tracks, hands on her hips. "You're  _arresting_ me?! After those two  _jerks_ attacked my brother?"

"I didn't see any brother there with you," the officer muses. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." His hand rests on the pair of handcuffs secured in his belt.

Katara practically blows steam from her nose as she follows behind him, eventually arriving outside of the science building. A pale girl with striking features speaks to the other cop, hugging her jacket more tightly around her. Soot decorates various parts of her face and clothes, but other than that, she appears unharmed. Katara suddenly feels relieved, knowing that nobody was hurt in the explosion, just as Sokka assured her.

The officers speak quietly amongst themselves for a second before coming over to her, studying her, and then ordering her to put her hands behind her back. She winces as the metal tightens around her wrists, binding her arms together behind her. A scowl tugs at her lips as one officer helps her climb into the back of the squad car, to the left of a boy who appears as if he could not care less that he was detained in the same fashion.

Once both officers are seated comfortably in the front, Katara leans forward, eyes narrowed. "You two are the same cops that arrested my brother," she notes, growing more irritated as they pretend they cannot hear her. "What, has Chan's father paid the entire police force to keep him out of trouble?!"

"Quiet!" the cop who drives barks.

Zuko watches from his seat curiously. She does not listen, but instead, her voice grows louder. Her hands clench into fists behind her back; her face almost presses against the cage separating her from the police officers; her eyes are alight with a fire that he, once upon a time, held in his own. Then he notices that she has scooted to the middle of the two seats, and he has to practically flatten himself against the door in order to keep from touching her.

He does not know if she even remembers he is there.

After she fails for the seventh time to elicit any sort of response besides "be quiet" from the cops, she falls back into her seat with a huff. Finally, her blue-eyed gaze slides over to him, analyzing the right side of his face.

"What'd they get you for?" she questions. She already knows, but she is trying to make conversation.

He does not answer.

"What's your name?" she asks.

She receives no response.

"What--"

The cop in front of her spins around and snaps, "Neró, leave Akahoshi alone."

Much to Zuko's surprise, she quiets down immediately. Even more surprisingly, she looks shocked, and then  _furious_ , and she turns a deadly glare onto Zuko. Something Zuko cannot read dances in the oceans of her eyes, and it takes him a moment to realize that her fury is directed towards  _him_.


End file.
